Indonesia Holds To Confrontation

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30826, 11 August 1965, Page 13

Indonesia Holds To Confrontation

'N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) DJAKARTA, August 10. • The Indonesian Foreign Minister, Dr. Subandrio, has said Indonesian confrontation of Malaysia will continue in spite of Singapore’s secession from the federation.

He said Singapore’s decision proved Indonesia was right in calling Malaysia a British neo - colonialist creation, Antara news agency reported. Dr. Subandrio told a visiting Chinese delegation: “If Singapore really becomes a fully independent and sovereign State, then let us together recognise this State of Singapore.” The Chinese officials promised to convey the suggestion to their government, Antara said. The Indonesian Foreign

Ministry spokesman, Mr Ganis Harsono, told A.A.P.-Reuter today that “as far as we are concerned, there is no change in our confrontation policy.” He said the Ministry was still awaiting formal word about the policy decisions of

Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the Singapore Prime Minister. “We are not in a hurry. We will view the situation very thoroughly,” he said. Indonesia’s Third Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Chafrul Saleh, warned last night that so long as Singapore “remains constituted as an Imperialist military base,” confrontation should continue against it, Antara said.

Although Indonesia continued to await official details on the secession, the reports reaching Djakarta have been hailed as a great victory for confrontation. ‘Great Victory’ Antara commented that although foreign observers in Djakarta were reluctant to comment on the secession, “they generally agreed that the event was a great victory and justification for Indonesia’s ‘crush Malaysia’ campaign and would almost certainly spell disaster for the British-created federation.” The leader of the Chinese delegation, Mr Li Hsueh Feng, said during his call on Dr.

Subandrio that Singapore’s secession was “a joyful present” for Indonesia on the eve of the 20th anniversary of its independence. “This event is a victory for all of us, the result of our ceaseless struggle,” he said. In London, it was officially announced, last night that Britain had recognised Singapore as a independent State.

The decision was announced by the Commonwealth Relations Office. In Whitehall it was a day of intense activity. A Soviet spokesman heralded the secession of Singapore today as a “telling blow to neo-Colonialists” in South-east Asia, said the “New York Times.”